Each day of our lives is a gift and a blessing. I write about the wonderful experiences I encounter during this journey. I'm thankful to my Lord for the countless gifts He has given me.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

If You Like Ginger Try This

My sweet co-worker Debbie Beteta is a master at making Split Pea Soup with No Ham. I just love it when she brings some to work to share. The health benefits of eating split peas are numerous and you will be able to tell right away after eating a bowl of this wonderful soup.

Split peas are an excellent source of fiber which helps to lower high levels of cholesterol and helps to keep blood sugar levels from rising.

Split peas are very inexpensive. I usually cook the whole bag. You can freeze part of the soup...It freezes well.

Rinse split peas well in water. Put the rinsed split peas in a medium size pot and add water to cover. The peas expand as they cook, so you will need to add a good amount of water up to around 5 inches. As they cook, if the water is getting absorbed you will need to keep adding water.For this recipe to add even more nutrition I used a sweet potato, two carrots and an onion to add flavor. You may also add whole kernel sweet corn once the peas have cooked.

While your split peas are cooking in water. On a separate frying pan heat some olive oil, then add the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots and onion. Cook until the onion looks clear. You will finish cooking the carrots and sweet potatoes in the pot with the split peas.

I absolutely love the flavor fresh chopped ginger adds to this soup, so I chopped and added around 1/4 cup chopped and sauteed it with the carrots and sweet potatoes. This may be a bit too much for you, so try by using 1 tablespoon chopped ginger. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper at this point.

After semi cooking the veggies add them to the split peas and cook until the carrots and sweet potatoes are tender. Other additions to try on this soup are corn and cooked brown rice.Enjoy